Eddie Howe to Celtic is a done deal.

At least that's the view of former Hoops ace Davie Provan.

The ex-pro turned commentator and pundit reckons the club's silence over an announcement of Howe as their new manager should not be taken as an indicator that the ex-Bournemouth boss has changed his mind.

We told recently that the Englishman had agreed in principle to replace Neil Lennon as Celtic's new manager with the new season ahead set to be a rebuilding job.

Glasgow Times:

Howe held private discussions with majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and Provan is convinced the deal must be done because Irish billionaire Desmond would not put himself in a position to be "embarrassed" by his number one choice for the job.

"I don't think for a moment Dermot Desmond would have exposed himself to the possibility of being embarrassed by Eddie Howe," Provan told Go Radio. "And Eddie Howe himself has chosen not to rule himself out.

"So reading between the lines I think there's an agreement, I think it's a done deal. I'm pretty sure Celtic will be working away in the background to beef that squad up because it's going to be a wholesale change of the type that we haven't seen for a long, long time.

"I'm sure Dermot Desmond will be aware that it doesn't look good and that makes me all the more convinced that a deal has been done with Eddie Howe and that they're working behind the scenes. I'm pretty sure that's the case.

"I don't think for a moment that Eddie Howe is going to take a Crystal Palace, I don't think Dermot Desmond would leave himself open to that embarrassment."

Howe has also been linked with the Newcastle job in the Premier League as current manager Steve Bruce continues to be under pressure with the Magpies fighting relegation.

Roy Hodgson's Palace role is also believed to be under threat and it has long been rumoured that Howe would consider a move to Selhurst Park given the close proximity to his home life.